Automatic cooler for kilns



(No Model.)

-H. M. PIE-ROE. Automatic Cooler for Kilns.

No. 243,302. Patented June 21,1881.

m Pains, mmm w. Washington. 0. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY M. PIERCE, OF GRAND RAPIDS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BANGOR CHEMI- CAL COMPANY, OF ELK RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

AUTOMATIC COOLER FOR KILNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 243,302, dated June 21, 1881.

Application filed March 10, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY M. PIERCE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Coolers for Kilns, 8m. and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawing is shown a vertical sectional view of devices. embodying my invention.

My invention has for its object to save time and labor, to-increase the working capacity of the apparatus employed, and consequently to reduce the capital required for various manufacturing purposes, such as the manufacture of charcoal, lime, &c., or wherever, as is well purpose.

To this end it consists, mainly, in the com bination, with a kiln or equivalent chamber, of an eduction-pipe for conducting the heated gases, &c., from the kiln, a cooler for reducing the temperature of the gases, and an induction-pipe for reconductin g the cooled or refrigerated gases .to the kiln or furnace, the cooler being so placed with relation to the furnace that the circulation of the gas, &c., is rendered automatic.

I will first proceed to describe the simplest and most practicable form of the invention and a specific application thereof, not, however, intending to limit myself thereby, and will then point out modifications and additional features that may be employed, if desired. For the purposes of this description I have shown the devices applied to a: charcoal-kiln.

A indicates a charcoal-kiln, provided at or near its base with a flue, a, which, during the charring of the wood, serves for the collection and escape of the gases, &c., developed.

Within the kiln, and at or near the top thereof, I arrange a perforated pipe or flue, B, from which extends a conduit or eduction-pipe, B, leading to a cooler, 0, preferably placed on top of the kiln, but at any rate so located with relation to the kiln that the cooled gases will flow back thereto. WVithin the pipe B is a suitable valve, b, for arresting the flow of gas, 850., to the cooler.

Instead of using a perforated pipe, B, the flue may lead directly from the top of the kiln to the cooler, as indicated by dotted lines B; and instead of leading the conduit B to the bottom it may enter at the top of the cooler, as indicated by dotted line S.

0 indicates a cooler, which maybe of any desired pattern; but as I have shown a special construction adapted for use where a stream of running water is obtainable, I will for the sake of clearness describe it more particularly. This cooler is composed of an outer box or tank for the reception of water or other cooling medium. Said box has a water-inlet, c, and an exit or overflow, 0, above, and is preferably divided up by horizontal partitions, p, which extend partially across the box from opposite ends alternately, so as to give the water or other cooling medium a zigzag course. \Vithin said box or tank is arranged the gasreceptaole G, connected at one end with the pipe B, which brings the gas from the kiln, and at the opposite end with the pipe D, which reconducts the cooled gas to the kiln. This receptacle G is composed of two chambers, the one, g, bein g a receiving-ch amber and the other, 9, a disch arging-chamber, and these two chambers are connected by tubes 9 which serve to break up the body of gas, &c., and present it most advantageously to the cooling medium. The connecting-tubes g are preferably inclined from the receiving to the discharge chamber, so as to direct any condensed liquids to the trap t, arranged in the discharge chamber. From the discharge-chamber g a pipe, D, provided with a suitable valve, d, leads to the flue a at the bottom of kiln A.

When it is necessary or desirable to retain the cooling medium in instead of causing it to ICC circulate through the tank 0, the partitions 19 may be omitted.

The operation of such devices will be as follows: The charring of the wood (or other operation conducted in the kiln) having been completed, the kiln or furnace is, as far as practicable, hermetically closed, the valves 12 and d opened to establish communication between the cooler and kiln, and the cooling me dium admitted to tank 0. The heated gases, 850., from the kiln A will then enter the perforated pipe or flue B, and pass thence by B to the cooler, where their temperature will be reduced, and whence they will flow through pipe D intoflue a, thence into thekiln A, where, becoming again heated by absorbing the heat from the contents of the kiln, they rise to the top of the kiln, enter pipe B, and establish an automatic circulation, which will continue until the temperature of the contents of the kiln is so reduced that a stasis is established.

The following modification in the arrange-- ment and construction of the devices may be made, if desired: A series of kilns, A, may be connected with a single cooler by connecting the valved pipes B and D to mains common to all, and connecting the cooler with said mains, instead of directly to the induction and eduction pipes of a singlekiln. In this manner the kilns may be cooled in succession by means of a single cooler located above the level of the kilns.

I will now describe additional features which may be employed at will.

Where running water is not readily attainable, it may become desirable to cause a circulation of the cooling-liquid through tank 0 by other means, in which case the following devices may be used: A chamber or tank, R, is provided and connected with the tank 0 by suitable pipes, T7", on one of which, if desired, a pump, P, can be arranged. When ice is used the same can be put in tank R and the cooling medium caused to circulate over and around it. When a freezing-mixture is employed, receptacles therefor may be arranged in tank R, and when the expansion of air or gases, 820., is

mitted to unskilled labor, and is only introduced to indicate the scope of the invention.

I am aware that in utilizing the non-condensable gases developed in the manufacture of charcoal a kiln has been connected with a condenser and cooler placed above the same, and that the condenser has had an eductionpipe leading to and delivering the uncondensed gases to a fire-chamber, in order that the gases might be burned, and that the heated products of such combustion were then permitted to enter the kiln to assist in the charring of the wood, and do not herein claim such subjectmatter, for the reason that if the gas, after passing from the cooler, is ignited, as would be the case where it was passed through a fire-chamber, the heat developed would defeat the purposes of my devices.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv The combination, with a kiln, furnace, or heating-chamber, of an eduction-pipe leading from at or near the upper part of the kiln, a cooler located above the level of the kiln or furnace, and an induction-pipe leading from the cooler to the kiln, whereby an automatic circulation of a cooling-gas through the kiln or furnace can be established and maintained,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. 

